Yesterday, Naughty Dog and Sony released a slew of The Last of Us: Part 2 merchandise to celebrate Outbreak Day. This included an interesting poster of what appears to be a man holding a hammer, with a flaming car in the background. Eagle-eyed fans have noticed that this poster seems to hide a hidden image that could hint at the story direction the upcoming sequel will take.

If one looks closely enough, the flames rising from the car makes the outline of a wolf's face. If the arm holding the hammer in the poster is indeed Joel as some have speculated, then perhaps the wolf represents Joel's attitude in the game. Perhaps Joel will be more of a predator this time around, maybe even serving as an antagonist of some sort, considering the ending of the first game. Alternatively, it could signify that Joel has become a "lone wolf" in The Last of Us: Part 2 and separated himself from Ellie, especially since there is only one wolf face in the poster.

Then again, the image of the wolf could indicate a "pack" mentality. It's possible Ellie and Joel have met up with other survivors since the end of the first game, and they could play a major role in the story. Of course, all of this is just speculation at this time, as we still know very little about The Last of Us: Part 2's story.

While we can't say for certain what this new Outbreak poster means, it almost certainly has a deeper meaning for The Last of Us: Part 2. After all, last year's Outbreak poster gave fans a sneak peek at Ellie's new tattoo, and that was a few months before the game was officially announced at the PlayStation Experience.

As for when fans can expect to learn more about the poster and The Last of Us: Part 2 in general, that remains to be seen, but we have a couple of ideas. It's possible new information on it could come as soon as October 30th, when Sony hosts its press conference for Paris Games Week. And if not then, perhaps the game will be featured at the PlayStation Experience 2017 event.

While fans wait for more official news on The Last of Us: Part 2, they can continue to analyze the new Outbreak poster for additional clues. It's possible that there are even more hidden images and hints left to be discovered.

The Last of Us: Part 2 is currently in development as a PlayStation 4 exclusive.

Source: IGN